1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to display devices. More particularly, it relates to a display device for holding and displaying eyeglasses, sunglasses, reading glasses, or the frames thereof.
2. Description of the prior art
Some types of spectacles, also known as eyeglasses or glasses, are displayed with their lenses installed, e.g., sunglasses, whereas other types are usually displayed with no lenses therein, i.e., only the frames thereof are displayed.
Spectacles are sold in a variety of shops, from retail stores to opthamologist's offices. Their display is problematic because of their shape, i.e., two transversely spaced apart temple pieces are hingedly mounted to and extend orthogonally from opposite ends of a lens-holding base. When the temple pieces are folded, the frames occupy a relatively small space, but when the temple pieces are arrayed in their operative position, a single frame occupies a relatively large space. Some displays require that the temple pieces be folded, but most busy establishments prefer displays that allow the temple pieces to remain unfolded so that customers do not wear out the hinges thereof through repeated use.
Display devices that require folding of the temple pieces are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,492,113 to Welsh, 1,479,632 to Stevens, 3,123,208 to Barnum et. al., and Des. 113,402 to Schram. Devices where the temple pieces are not folded are disclosed in U.S Pat. Nos. 3,351,208 to Siegel and 4,157,760 to Wilson.
A common limitation of many of the heretofore patented display devices is that the devices themselves are provided in the form of space-occupying stands. Typically, the display stand is a free standing case that occupies valuable countertop space.
Another common display device is a pegboard-like apparatus that is mounted in spaced apart, parallel relation to a wall of the establishment selling spectacles; the free ends of the temples are simply inserted into the holes formed in the pegboard. However, the pegboards themselves require a considerable amount of work to install, and most establishments are not equipped to handle the installation chore. Moreover, additional means are required to support the lens-holding base means of each frame. These additional support means add to the cost of the display means and detract from the appearance of the merchandise.
What is needed, then, is a display apparatus that displays frames in their unfolded configuration, which can be installed in moments by unskilled personnel, and which requires no auxiliary parts to support the displayed merchandise. However, at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art, in view of the art when considered as a whole, how the needed display device could be provided.